


Careless Talk Through Paper Walls

by lunarknightz



Category: Smallville
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-29
Updated: 2010-08-29
Packaged: 2017-10-11 08:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/110316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunarknightz/pseuds/lunarknightz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ollie has something to say to Lois after the events of Absolute Justice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Careless Talk Through Paper Walls

No matter how many times Lois saw her name in print, she never got sick of it. Lois Lane. Staff reporter. _She was somebody_.

Lois grinned and pulled out her copy of today's Daily Planet. **Who Was The Justice Society of America?** the headline glared.

"My greatest scoop, that's who. So far, anyway." Lois chirped, reaching into the plastic shopping bag for the frame she'd bought at the craft store on her way home. She inserted the paper into the frame. "Perfect." She praised herself. "Absolutely perfect."

Lois looked around the apartment for a place to hang the picture. The apartment above the Talon was still technically Chloe's place, though Chloe tended to spend most of her time in the Metropolis loft that Jimmy bought her, anyway. Most of Chloe's stuff was still here in the apartment- some in the boxes she'd never finished packing before the wedding. Lois knew her cousin was hurting, but Chloe's grief couldn't stand in the way of her decorating skills. Chloe would bounce back. She always did- Chloe was part Lane. And that's what Lanes did, as a rule.

Lois took down one of Jimmy's framed photographs from the wall- a rather dull shot of some corn outside of Smallville, and hung up her new masterpiece.

"Looking good, Lane." She praised herself.

A loud knock sounded at the door.

Oliver was at the door. He wasn't happy.

"Ollie. To what do I owe the honor?"

He didn't stop to talk, but stormed in past Lois. "What in the hell is this?" He said, throwing a copy of The Daily Planet onto the kitchen counter.

"I think you've taken one too many arrows to the brain, Ollie. It's a newspaper with an article that's practically Pulitzer worthy."

"Pulitzer worthy?" He scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. This is shit."

"This is an awesome article! Front page headline, above the fold. That's hardly shit, Oliver." Lois was absolutely livid. "I would think that someone who is my friend, who says that he cares for me would be happy for me, not come in here and tear me down."

"I would think that someone who was my friend" Oliver said, matching her tone exactly, "would realize that a costumed hero's identity is something sacred."

"It's the story of a lifetime, Oliver. People needed to know about the Justice Society."

"Writing about the group itself is one thing, Lois. But you printed their names and their pictures for the entire world to see. Their friends. Their families. Their enemies. You've endangered people who have given their time and risked their lives to help others, just so you can get a story above the fold? "

"The point of reporting is to tell the truth. I did my job."

"Some things need to remain a secret. You get incredibly livid when gossip blogs or the National Enquirer exposes someone that's gay; and you're perfectly fine revealing other people's personal secrets to the world? It's below you, Lois."

"I stand behind my story." She said, stubbornly. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry."

"Don't make me have to say I'm sorry, Lois." Oliver growled. "You know my secret. I thought I could trust you. But now I'm a little scared that the next time you're desperate for a story, that I'll become your next headline."

"Ollie!" Lois exclaimed. "You're my friend. I would never do that!"

"Really? They," He said, pointing to the mug shots of the Justice Society Members on the Planet's front page. "Are my friends, and you did it to them."

He glared at her for a second. When Lois didn't move, Oliver said, "I'll let myself out." He slammed the door shut behind him.

Lois didn't move. Not for a while.

She picked up Oliver's copy of the paper.

Somehow, her article didn't seem quite as fantastic as it did earlier. She threw that copy in the trash.

Lois hung back up Jimmy's corn picture. She didn't want to look at the article, not right now. She needed coffee, and a muffin, and fortunately, the Talon was just downstairs.


End file.
